Concrete form



9* 22, 4 r. F. KELLER 2,296,352

CONCRETE FORM Filed May 23, 1941 the bottom of this hole.

Patented Sept. 22, 1942 UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE CONCRETE *FORM Theodore F. Keller, ,Houston, Tex. Application May- 23-, 1941; Serial No. 394;750

9 Claims.

This invention relates in general to building supports andin particular to methodsand apparatus used in constructing concrete piers,

In many localities in the United, States and elsewhere heavyw foundations are notnecessary or desirable for the support ofbuildings and the buildings are supported on piers. Concrete piers are frequently constructedby digging. a hole in the ground and pouring, a footing of concrete in The hole is preferably dug to such a depth as will insure a proper foundation.

The footing may be several feetin diameter or it may be in six inches to a foot in thickness. Ordinarily, after this footing has been poured andtime has been allowedfor it, to set,th ere is constructed on top of the footing aform of wood, which is of the cross section of the pier tobe poured. Such a pier is usually much smaller in crosssection than the footingjust referredto, After the pier has been, poured; it is necessary to wait for the concrete to set and then to remove the form carefully so that it may be. re-used before the dirt can be filled in aroundthe pier and the building proceed.

The principal objectof the present invention is to speed up the process of pier construction While at the sametimedecreasing the cost of materials and the amount of labor necessary in carrying it out;

Another object of this invention is toprovide the form of a square and, from a method of constructing concrete supporting piers.

Still another object of this inventionis to provide a methodof forming piers by pouringa concrete footing, placing a cheap, discardable pier form on the footing before the latter has set, pouring concrete into the pier form, and placing dirt on the footing and about the pier form prior to setting of the concrete.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cheap pier form which may readily be destroyed and removed from the pier before backfilling around the pier.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cheap pier form adapted to be left in the construction and having means on its bottom for anchoring it to an unset concrete footing.

A still further object of this, invention is to provide a concrete pier form comprising a tube of heavy paper composition.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a clip for engaging the lower portion of a pier form and enter intoa preset concrete footing to anchor the form in place on the footing.

With these andother, objects in view the invention resides in the parts and combinations and'the procedure hereinafter described.

In order to illustrate my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawing an embodiment thereof.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of apier hole showing a concrete footing in the bottom thereof with a pier form in position.

Fig 2 'is a similar View of the same structure after pouring of the pier and filling of dirt into the hole.

Fig. 3 is a detailed view partly in section showing hoW the anchor clip is secured to the form.

Fig. 4 is a front elevational viewv of the clip.

Referring to the drawing there is shown in Fig. l a hole I ofthe depth, width and-shape usually employed for building piers, and footings. As is customary in the construction of concrete piers the present invention embodies a footing 2 which is poured into the hole I to, the desired height so that the required thickness will be obtained.

After pouring of the footing 2 but before the concrete of the footing has set a pier form, 3is mounted on the surface of the footing. The form 3 according to the present invention comprises a tube of paper, cardboard, or so called composition or similar material and is, somewhat similar in appearance to a cardboard or paper mailing tube, but, of course, is much larger -in diameter and length. Form 3 may be of laminated construction as in the case of cardboard containers and may be treated to render it water-proof and if it is to be left in place to increase its resistance to termites or the like if desired or found necessary. Also reinforcing bands or other elements may be incorporated in or associated with the tubes if desired or found necessary.

The form 3 of cheap paper or similar construction is adapted to be positioned on the upper surface of the footing 2 before the latter has set or hardened as shown in Fig. 1. To secure the form 3 in position on the footing anchor means in the form of clips 4 are attached to the lower open end of the form tube 3 and are pressed down into the green unset concrete footing 2. This is clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing.

While the anchoring means may vary in construction, I have found the clip 4 as more clearly shown in Fig. 4 to be very satisfactory. This clip which is formed of a sheet metal stamping comprising a body portion 5 provided with openings 6 to more effectively anchor the clip in the concrete footing and a plurality of tines or prongs I. The latter elements are formed by slitting the upper end of the body 5. Rigidity and strength are imparted to the prongs l by longitudinal corrugations 8. These corrugations also serve to increase the grip of the clip on the tube 3.

In using the clips 4 the prongs are spread as shown in Fig. 3 to receive the lower portion of the wall of tube 3 between them. After placing several clips on the lower end of tube 3 the tube is positioned by pressing the lower ends of the clips into the green concrete footing until the lower edge of the tube 3 engages the surface of said footing. If possible the lower edge of the tube may be slightly embedded into the surface of the footing.

When the form tube 3 is anchored in position, concrete can be poured into the tube to the desired height and before the concrete in the tube or in the footing has set the dirt removed from the hole may be filled in over the footing and about the tube 3, or as soon as the concrete in the tube has set sufficiently to support itself the form may be readily ripped off before filling in around the pier.

As the tube 3 is of such cheap construction salvage is not necessary so that no time need be lost in waiting for the concrete of the footing and pier to set before filling in the hole dug therefor.

The clips 4 are an important phase of this invention in that they serve to securely anchor the form 3 in place. Obviously anchor means could be permanently attached to the tube 3 but with the clips 4 as herein described the tubing 3 may be obtained in long lengths and cut to size for a particular job and after cutting to size the clips can be attached.

While tube 3 has been shown as cylindrical, it is obvious that other forms may be employed depending on the shape of the pier to be constructed.

Not only is the form tube of the present invention advantageous from a point of view of speedy pier construction and form material economy, but since the forms are left in place there is no tendency to chip the piers by too early removal of forms as is customary in current construction practice.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A concrete pier form comprising a tube of paper, and anchor means on one end of the tube to anchor the latter in position on the surface of an unset concrete footing, said anchor means having openings in the portion thereof adapted to be embedded in the concrete to increase the anchoring effect of the means in the concrete.

2. A concrete pier form comprising a tube of paper, and clips projecting from one end of the tube for anchoring the latter to an unset concrete footing, said clips having prongs at one end thereof adapted to grip said tube and a portion at the other end thereof adapted to be embedded in the concrete footing.

3. A concrete pier form comprising a tube of paper, and clips projecting from one end of the tube for anchoring the latter to an unset concrete footing, said clips having prongs at one end provided with longitudinal corrugations for gripping said tube and a portion at the other end thereof adapted to be embedded in the concrete footing.

4. A concrete pier form comprising a tube of paper, and clips projecting from one end of the tube for anchoring the latter to an unset concrete footing, said clips having prongs at one end thereof adapted to grip said tube and a portion at the other end thereof adapted to be embedded in the concrete footing, and provided with means to more securely anchor the same in the concrete footing.

5. A concrete pier form comprising a tube of paper, and clips projecting from one end of the tube for anchoring the latter to an unset concrete footing, said clips having prongs at one end thereof adapted to grip said tube and a portion at the other end thereof adapted to be embedded in the concrete footing, and provided with transverse openings to anchor the same in the concrete footing. I

6. A device for anchoring a paper pier form to an unset footing comprising a clip having a portion provided with gripping means to grip the form and a portion to be embedded in the concrete footing.

'7. A device for anchoring a paper pier form to an unset footing comprising a clip having a portion provided with longitudinal slits to form prongs for gripping the form between the prongs and a portion to be embedded in the concrete footing.

8. A device for anchoring a paper pier form to an unset footing comprising a clip having a portion provided with tube gripping prongs and a portion to be embedded in the concrete footing.

9. A device for anchoring a paper pier form to an unset footing comprising a clip having a portion provided with tube gripping prongs having longitudinal corrugations and a perforated portion to be embedded in the concrete footing.

THEODORE F. KELLER. 

